Poster: Generational Change in Perspective on Interracial Marriage: A Narrative Approach to the Lifelong Sociocultural Experiences of a Caucasian Individual in a Caucasian-African American Interracial Marriage

Resiliency and Healing in the Aftermath of Violence in Marginalized Communities
Friday, March 17, 2017
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (Chicago Campus)
4th Floor Merchandise Mart
and the
Merchandise Mart Holiday Inn Mart Plaza
Contact us: cic@thechicagoschool.edu

Generational Change in Perspective on Interracial Marriage: A Narrative Approach to the Lifelong Sociocultural Experiences of a Caucasian Individual in a Caucasian-African American Interracial Marriage

An individual’s socio-cultural experiences throughout their life has a significant impact on shaping perspectives on interracial relationships, and a substantial part of these experiences come from the family of origin. Currently, there is a dearth of literature that primarily focuses on the lifelong socio-cultural experiences of a Caucasian individual who is in a Caucasian-African American interracial marriage, and whose family of origin holds racially discriminatory attitudes toward the marriage. With the growing number of interracial relationships in the United States, discussions centered on this research topic are meaningful and highly relevant. Although Caucasian-African American interracial marriages are on the rise, they still represent one of the more rare types of interracial marriages in the United States in comparison to the other major racial groups. These interracial marriage disparities are significantly influenced by the chronic history White racism in the United States and the systemic oppression of African Americans.Consequently, exploring a Caucasian individual’s socio-cultural experiences that garnered accepting attitudes towards entering into a Caucasian-African American interracial marriage, despite family of origin opposition, is highly worthy of examination.Using a narrative-oral history approach, this study examines the lifelong socio-cultural experiences of a Caucasian individual in a Caucasian-African American interracial marriage whose family of origin opposes their interracial relationship.